[gui-talk] Fwd: Article: New technology aids blind sailors

[Steve Pattison]

>From: John Rae thepenguin at rogers.com
>To: vip vip-l at softspeak.com.au
>
>New technology aids blind sailors
>This is Cornwall (UK), September 12, 2007
>
>A cornish marine technology company has developed a guidance system for
>blind sailors which it believes is a world first.Fowey-based Triskel Marine
>Ltd's (TML) 'Sailguide' allows visually impaired sailors to navigate a boat
>with no external human help.
>
>The system was trialled last week by blind and deaf sailor Tony Lawton with
>great success.
>
>TML's managing director Ken Wittamore said: "We have been working on the
>system for the best part of a year and the success with Tony is a major
>milestone.
>
>"Helping Tony to sail independently, despite the difficulties he faces, has
>probably been the most challenging job we have ever taken on.
>
>"His perpetual optimism and enthusiasm have helped us enormously."
>
>For the trial Tony navigated a specially equipped cruising boat so that his
>performance could be closely monitored. The next step will be to fit the
>system to Tony's Challenger dinghy.
>
>The GPS-based technology is designed to allow sailors to steer around a
>series of special buoys using information provided by a computer-generated
>voice.
>
>Once activated the buoy transmits its position and identity to a receiver in
>the boat which then calculates how far away it is and in what direction.
>
>This is converted into a voice prompt which gives the distance and bearing
>to the mark. The skipper then makes navigational decisions based on
>information from the computer.
>
>Tony Lawton received his voice guidance through a hearing loop. He said:
>"This is the first time since becoming blind that I have been able to sail a
>boat with no external assistance.
>
>"It was a wonderful emotional moment when I first steered the boat around
>the mark and all of the crew cheered and clapped.
>
>"I thought I would never be able to sail independently again, but using the
>Sailguide I hope to be racing independently again next season."
>
>The hardware for Sailguide was designed by Omicron, which is based near
>Helston.
>
>Ken Wittamore said: "The Sailguide technology has a number of other marine
>applications which we are already developing.
>
>"As far as we are aware the system is a world first - other people have
>produced speaking compasses, but nobody has produced anything like this.
>
>"The system's computerised voice was recorded by my daughter Jenny.
>
>"We were tempted to call it the JenJen, as a marine equivalent of the
>TomTom, but we decided that might be a bit obtuse!"
>
>www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147201&command=displa
>yContent&sourceNode=147172&contentPK=18357792&folderPk=83293&pNodeId=147267

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
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